1 



236 LEAVES FROM THE 



herb in milke, and give tlie dogge it to drink, it w ill expell all 

 inward poison. 



In the ' Table of hard words/ it is stated that ' Cala- 

 mint is an ordinary hearb, and groweth by ditches sides 

 by high waies, and sometimes in Gardens/ 



For ' The Generall Cure of all Cattell/ we read in 

 chapter 69, which treats ' Of venomous wounds, as biting 

 with a mad dogge, tusks of Bores, Serpents, or such like,' 

 in the case of the horse, as follows : — 



For any of these mortall or venomous wounds, take Yarrow, 

 Calamint, and the grains of wheat, and beat them in a morter with 

 water of -Sothernwood, and make it into a salve, and lay it to the sore, 

 and it will heale it safely. 



But in the case of ' The Oxe, Cow, etc/ — 



If vour beast be bitten with a mad Dog, or any other venemous 

 beast, you shall take Plaintain and beat it in a morter with Bole- 

 armoniacke, Sanguis Draconis, Barly meale, and the whites of Egs, 

 and playster-wise lay it to the sore, renewing it once in four- 

 teen hours. 



Most of these simple remedies — except in the case of 

 the ' mad dog' — were, doubtless, found efficacious in these 

 fortunate islands, where the only venomous serpent is 

 the viper and its varieties, and the harmless common 

 snake throws its enamelled skin among those beautiful 

 wild flowers, whose dewy blossoms bring back to the 

 mind's eye the images of the dear ones now gone to 

 receive their reward in heaven, who were wont to gaze 

 lovingly with us upon those stars of the earth long, 

 long ago. 



But we must go back to our Reptile-house, where the 

 murderous cobra, the deadly cerastes, the fatal puff- 

 adder,* and the lethal rattlesnakes, remind us of the 

 danger that lurks in paths made lovely by all the floral 

 prodigality of warmer climates. There, too, are the 



* Clotho arietans. 



